UEFA Euro 2008 Group A

Group A of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups competing of nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The group's first round of matches was played on 7 June, with the final round played on 15 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Basel and Geneva. The group consisted of co-host Switzerland, UEFA Euro 2004 host and finalist Portugal, as well as Czech Republic and Turkey.

Portugal won their first two games against Turkey and the Czech Republic, scoring five goals in the process, to qualify for the quarter-finals by winning the group. The second quarter-final place would go to the winner of the match between Turkey and the Czech Republic. As the two teams had identical records going into the game, if the match had finished as a draw, the quarter-final place would have been determined by a penalty shootout – what would have been the first group stage penalty shootout in a major international tournament. Meanwhile, Switzerland became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losing to Turkey 2–1 in their second match, Arda Turan scoring a deflected winner in the last minute, having lost 1–0 to the Czech Republic in their opening match.[1] This match between Switzerland and Turkey was dubbed the "Bath of Basel" as the rain poured down incessantly. The weather suited the long-ball Swiss more than the short-passing Turks, and before half time the Swiss had capitalised on the conditions. Indeed, Hakan Yakin's goal stemmed from the ball stopping in a puddle and allowing him an easy finish, which led the BBC commentary team to utter the classic, "It's a tap-in ... Hakan Yakin!" In the second half Turkey's more direct style yielded two goals, the second a last-minute long-range shot from Arda Turan which went in off a deflection. This was the first of several last-gasp victories for the Turkish team at the tournament, made all the more impressive by their injury woes at that time.

The final round of matches saw the Portuguese name an under-strength team for their match against Switzerland, their progression already assured. Their opponents, however, fielded a strong side and won the match 2–0, securing their first win in a European Championship.[2] Meanwhile, with a place in the quarter-finals to play for, Turkey and the Czech Republic each had to win to qualify. The Czechs went into half time 1–0 up, and doubled their lead soon after half-time. Arda Turan brought the Turks back into the game in the 75th minute, before Petr Čech made an uncharacteristic error, dropping the ball at the feet of Nihat Kahveci, who was left with a simple finish. Boosted by the equaliser, Turkey went for the win, and two minutes later, Nihat curled the ball past Čech from 20 yards. Then, with just moments left to play, the Turkish goalkeeper Volkan Demirel pushed over the big Czech striker Jan Koller, resulting in a red card for the Turk. With no substitutions left, Turkey had to put Tuncay Şanlı in goal, but still managed to secure their place in the quarter-finals.[3] Tempers continued to boil over, as Milan Baroš was booked, despite having been on the bench for the whole game.

Teams

Draw position Team Method of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Previous best
performance		 UEFA Rankings
November 2007[nb 1]		 FIFA Rankings
June 2008
A1   Switzerland Co-hosts 3rd 2004 Group stage (1996, 2004) 16 44
A2  Czech Republic[nb 2] Group D winners 7th 2004 Runners-up (1996) 3 6
A3  Portugal Group A runners-up 5th 2004 Runners-up (2004) 5 11
A4  Turkey Group C runners-up 3rd 2000 Quarter-finals (2000) 14 20
Notes
  1. ↑ The UEFA rankings of November 2007 were used for seeding for the final draw.
  2. ↑ From 1960 to 1992, the Czech Republic competed as Czechoslovakia. If those records are included, this is their seventh finals appearance, with their previous best performance being winners in 1976.

Standings

Key to colours in group tables
Team progressed to the quarter-finals
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Portugal 320153+26
 Turkey 32015506
 Czech Republic 310246−23
  Switzerland 31023303

All times local (UTC+2)

Matches

Switzerland vs Czech Republic

7 June 2008 (2008-06-07)
18:00
Switzerland   0–1  Czech Republic
Report Svěrkoš  71'
St. Jakob-Park, Basel
Attendance: 39,730[4]
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
Switzerland[5]
Czech Republic[5]
GK 1 Diego Benaglio
RB 5 Stephan Lichtsteiner  75'
CB 20Patrick Müller
CB 4 Philippe Senderos
LB 3 Ludovic Magnin  59'
CM 8 Gökhan Inler
CM 15Gelson Fernandes
RW 19Valon Behrami  84'
LW 16Tranquillo Barnetta  90+3'
CF 9 Alexander Frei (c)  46'
CF 11Marco Streller
Substitutions:
MF 10Hakan Yakin  46'
FW 22Johan Vonlanthen  76'  75'
FW 12Eren Derdiyok  84'
Manager:
Köbi Kuhn
GK 1 Petr Čech
RB 2 Zdeněk Grygera
CB 21Tomáš Ujfaluši (c)
CB 22David Rozehnal
LB 6 Marek Jankulovski
DM 4 Tomáš Galásek
CM 14David Jarolím  87'
CM 3 Jan Polák
RW 7 Libor Sionko  83'
LW 20Jaroslav Plašil
CF 9 Jan Koller  56'
Substitutions:
FW 10Václav Svěrkoš  56'
FW 11Stanislav Vlček  83'
MF 5 Radoslav Kováč  87'
Manager:
Karel Brückner

Man of the Match:
Tomáš Ujfaluši (Czech Republic)[4]

Assistant referees:
Alessandro Griselli (Italy)
Paolo Calcagno (Italy)
Fourth official:
Stéphane Lannoy (France)

Portugal vs Turkey

7 June 2008 (2008-06-07)
20:45
Portugal  2–0  Turkey
Pepe  61'
Meireles  90+3'		 Report
Stade de Genève, Geneva
Attendance: 29,106[6]
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)
Portugal[7]
Turkey[7]
GK 1 Ricardo
RB 4 José Bosingwa
CB 15Pepe
CB 16Ricardo Carvalho
LB 2 Paulo Ferreira
CM 8 Petit
CM 10João Moutinho
RW 7 Cristiano Ronaldo
AM 20Deco  90+2'
LW 11Simão  83'
CF 21Nuno Gomes (c)  69'
Substitutions:
FW 19Nani  69'
MF 6 Raul Meireles  83'
DF 5 Fernando Meira  90+2'
Manager:
Brazil Luiz Felipe Scolari
GK 23Volkan Demirel
RB 22Hamit Altıntop  76'
CB 2 Servet Çetin
CB 4 Gökhan Zan  51'  55'
LB 3 Hakan Balta
RM 18Colin Kazim-Richards  4'
CM 5 Emre Belözoğlu (c)
LM 7 Mehmet Aurélio
AM 21Mevlüt Erdinç  46'
AM 17Tuncay Şanlı
CF 8 Nihat Kahveci
Substitutions:
DF 20Sabri Sarıoğlu  73'  46'
DF 15Emre Aşık  55'
FW 9 Semih Şentürk  76'
Manager:
Fatih Terim

Man of the Match:
Pepe (Portugal)[6]

Assistant referees:
Carsten Kadach (Germany)
Volker Wezel (Germany)
Fourth official:
Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

Czech Republic vs Portugal

11 June 2008 (2008-06-11)
18:00
Czech Republic  1–3  Portugal
Sionko  17' Report Deco  8'
Ronaldo  63'
Quaresma  90+1'
Stade de Genève, Geneva
Attendance: 29,016[8]
Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece)
Czech Republic[9]
Portugal[9]
GK 1 Petr Čech
RB 2 Zdeněk Grygera
CB 21Tomáš Ujfaluši (c)
CB 22David Rozehnal
LB 6 Marek Jankulovski
DM 4 Tomáš Galásek  73'
CM 17Marek Matějovský  68'
CM 3 Jan Polák  22'
RW 7 Libor Sionko
LW 20Jaroslav Plašil  84'
CF 15Milan Baroš
Substitutions:
FW 11Stanislav Vlček  68'
FW 9 Jan Koller  73'
MF 14David Jarolím  84'
Manager:
Karel Brückner
GK 1 Ricardo
RB 4 José Bosingwa  31'
CB 15Pepe
CB 16Ricardo Carvalho
LB 2 Paulo Ferreira
CM 8 Petit
CM 10João Moutinho  75'
RW 7 Cristiano Ronaldo
AM 20Deco
LW 11Simão  80'
CF 21Nuno Gomes (c)  79'
Substitutions:
DF 5 Fernando Meira  75'
FW 9 Hugo Almeida  79'
MF 17Ricardo Quaresma  80'
Manager:
Brazil Luiz Felipe Scolari

Man of the Match:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)[8]

Assistant referees:
Dimitris Bozatzidis (Greece)
Dimitris Saraidaris (Greece)
Fourth official:
Kristinn Jakobsson (Iceland)

Switzerland vs Turkey

11 June 2008 (2008-06-11)
20:45
Switzerland   1–2  Turkey
Yakin  32' Report Semih  57'
Turan  90+2'
St. Jakob-Park, Basel
Attendance: 39,730[10]
Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia)
Switzerland[11]
Turkey[11]
GK 1 Diego Benaglio
RB 5 Stephan Lichtsteiner
CB 20Patrick Müller
CB 4 Philippe Senderos
LB 3 Ludovic Magnin (c)
RM 19Valon Behrami
CM 8 Gökhan Inler
CM 15Gelson Fernandes  76'
LM 16Tranquillo Barnetta  66'
SS 10Hakan Yakin  85'
CF 12Eren Derdiyok  55'
Substitutions:
FW 22Johan Vonlanthen  66'
MF 7 Ricardo Cabanas  76'
FW 14Daniel Gygax  85'
Manager:
Köbi Kuhn
GK 23Volkan Demirel
RB 22Hamit Altıntop
CB 15Emre Aşık
CB 2 Servet Çetin
LB 3 Hakan Balta  48'
DM 7 Mehmet Aurélio  41'
RM 10Gökdeniz Karadeniz  46'
LM 14Arda Turan
AM 11Tümer Metin  46'
CF 8 Nihat Kahveci (c)  85'
CF 17Tuncay Şanlı  31'
Substitutions:
MF 6 Mehmet Topal  46'
FW 9 Semih Şentürk  46'
MF 18Colin Kazim-Richards  85'
Manager:
Fatih Terim

Man of the Match:
Arda Turan (Turkey)[10]

Assistant referees:
Roman Slyško (Slovakia)
Martin Balko (Slovakia)
Fourth official:
Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Switzerland vs Portugal

15 June 2008 (2008-06-15)
20:45
Switzerland   2–0  Portugal
Yakin  71', 83' (pen.) Report
St. Jakob-Park, Basel
Attendance: 39,730[12]
Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)
Switzerland[13]
Portugal[13]
GK 18Pascal Zuberbühler
RB 5 Stephan Lichtsteiner  83'
CB 20Patrick Müller
CB 4 Philippe Senderos
LB 3 Ludovic Magnin (c)
RM 19Valon Behrami
CM 15Gelson Fernandes  90+2'
CM 8 Gökhan Inler
LM 22Johan Vonlanthen  37'  61'
SS 10Hakan Yakin  27'  86'
CF 12Eren Derdiyok
Substitutions:
MF 16Tranquillo Barnetta  81'  61'
DF 13Stéphane Grichting  83'
MF 7 Ricardo Cabanas  86'
Manager:
Köbi Kuhn
GK 1 Ricardo
RB 13Miguel  81'
CB 15Pepe
CB 3 Bruno Alves
LB 2 Paulo Ferreira  30'  41'
CM 5 Fernando Meira (c)  78'
CM 18Miguel Veloso  71'
CM 6 Raul Meireles
RW 17Ricardo Quaresma
LW 19Nani
CF 23Hélder Postiga  74'
Substitutions:
DF 14Jorge Ribeiro  64'  41'
MF 10João Moutinho  71'
FW 9Hugo Almeida  74'
Manager:
Brazil Luiz Felipe Scolari

Man of the Match:
Hakan Yakin (Switzerland)[12]

Assistant referees:
Egon Bereuter (Austria)
Markus Mayr (Austria)
Fourth official:
Ivan Bebek (Croatia)

Turkey vs Czech Republic

15 June 2008 (2008-06-15)
20:45
Turkey  3–2  Czech Republic
Arda  75'
Nihat  87', 89'		 Report Koller  34'
Plašil  62'
Turkey[15]
Czech Republic[15]
GK 23Volkan Demirel Red card 90+6'
RB 22Hamit Altıntop
CB 13Emre Güngör  63'
CB 2 Servet Çetin
LB 3 Hakan Balta
RM 6 Mehmet Topal  6'  57'
CM 7 Mehmet Aurélio  10'
CM 14Arda Turan  90+5'
LM 17Tuncay Şanlı
CF 8 Nihat Kahveci (c)
CF 9 Semih Şentürk  46'
Substitutions:
FW 20Sabri Sarıoğlu  46'
MF 18Colin Kazim-Richards  57'
DF 15Emre Aşık  73'  63'
Manager:
Fatih Terim
GK 1 Petr Čech
RB 2 Zdeněk Grygera
CB 21Tomáš Ujfaluši (c)  90+4'
CB 22David Rozehnal
LB 6 Marek Jankulovski
DM 4 Tomáš Galásek  80'
CM 17Marek Matějovský  39'
CM 3 Jan Polák
RW 7 Libor Sionko  85'
LW 20Jaroslav Plašil  80'
CF 9 Jan Koller
Substitutions:
MF 14David Jarolím  39'
DF 13Michal Kadlec  80'
FW 11Stanislav Vlček  85'
FW 15Milan Baroš[note 1]  90+5'
Manager:
Karel Brückner

Man of the Match:
Nihat Kahveci (Turkey)[14]

Assistant referees:
Stefan Wittberg (Sweden)
Henrik Andrén (Sweden)
Fourth official:
Grzegorz Gilewski (Poland)

Notes

  1. ↑ Baroš was booked on the substitutes' bench, despite not playing any part in the match

References

  1. ↑ Sanghera, Mandeep (11 June 2008). "Switzerland 1–2 Turkey". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  2. ↑ Sanghera, Mandeep (15 June 2008). "Turkey 3–2 Czech R & Switzerland 2–0 Portugal". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  3. ↑ Ashdown, John (15 June 2008). "Turkey v Czech Republic – as it happened". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Full-time report Switzerland-Czech Republic" (PDF). Union of Football European Associations. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Switzerland-Czech Republic" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Full-time report Portugal-Turkey" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Portugal-Turkey" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Full-time report Czech Republic-Portugal" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Czech Republic-Portugal" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Full-time report Switzerland-Turkey" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Switzerland-Turkey" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  12. 1 2 "Full-time report Switzerland-Portugal" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Switzerland-Portugal" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  14. 1 2 "Full-time report Turkey-Czech Republic" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Team Line-ups – Group A – Turkey-Czech Republic" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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